Panels made of interlocked wood pieces

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are wood pieces for use to manufacture wood panels. Each of these wood pieces has an upper surface, a lower surface and two opposite sidewalls. Tongues and grooves or hooks and notches are provided on the opposite sidewalls of each of the wood pieces in such a way that ( 1 ) there is at least one tongue or hook on each sidewall and at least one corresponding groove or notch on the other sidewall and ( 2 ) the tongues or hooks on the tongues or hooks on the opposite sidewalls are positioned at a same height between the upper and lower surfaces of each wood piece, and the grooves or notches are positioned at another same height selected as a function of the one where stand the tongues or hooks. When the wood pieces are cut in such a way that their tongues and grooves or hooks and notches are positioned as indicated hereinabove, it is then requested that, after one wood piece has been positioned in a given flat position with an upper surface and a bottom surface, the adjacent wood piece be then positioned in a reverse position, with its bottom surfaces on top and its upper surface at the bottom. The wood pieces of similar shape are then interlocked with each other by alternatively locating one wood piece upside down and another piece upside up. Due to their configuration, each of the wood pieces is longitudinally orientable in one direction or the other, upon request. This is particularly interesting in the case where the wood pieces are cut from logs or branches that are of conical shape, since it is then possible to position them “head to tail” in an alternate manner in order to manufacture a straight panel.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to new panels made from wood pieces positioned side by side and interlocked with each other.

[0002] The invention also relates to the wood pieces used to manufacture such panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0003] The concept of manufacturing panels from wood pieces positioned side by side and glued to each other is well known per se. By way of nonrestrictive examples of such panels also called “laminated panels”, reference can be made to the following U.S. patents.

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 1,924,240 of 1933

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,820 of 1973

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,653 of 1991

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,597 of 1992

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,620 of 1999 and

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,053 of 2000.

[0010] The concept of adding tongues and grooves on the sidewalls of wood pieces of in order to make it possible to interlock each piece with other adjacent pieces and thus to structurally reinforce the so formed panel is also well known per se. In this connection, reference can also be made, by way of non-restrictive example, the following U.S. patents:

[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 369,216 of 1887

[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 1,924,240 of 1933 and

[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,295 of 1986.

[0014] Reference can also be made to the following Canadian laid-open patent application:

[0015] 2,328,338 of 2001.

[0016] It is worth noting that in all these prior art references, the tongues are always located on a same sidewall of each of the wood piece, and the grooves on the opposite sidewall. When these tongues and grooves are positioned in front of each other and in a symmetrical manner on the in sidewalls of each of wood piece as is the case in all the patents listed hereinabove except U.S. Pat. No. 369,216, it is then possible, during the assembly of the panel, to tilt a wood pieces in one direction or the other as shown by the arrow (A) on FIG. 1, in order to inverse their upper and lower surfaces. However, it is impossible to tilt these pieces by rotating them at 180° about the axis B₁ shown on FIG. 1, or to modify their longitudinal orientation by pivoting them at 180° about the axis B₂ also shown in FIG. 1. Indeed, in such cases, the tongues and grooves of the adjacent wood pieces would be facing each other and would prevent their interlocking. Thus, the wood pieces must always be oriented in the same direction.

[0017] The concept of cutting along their length logs or branches of trees to manufacture wood pieces is also known. Because due to the shape of the logs or branches, some wood pieces are sidewalls that are bevelled, their assembly to form a panel involves that positioning in adjacent relationship with one wood piece upside down and the adjacent wood piece upside up. By way of non-restrictive examples of such assembly, reference can be made to the following U.S. patents:

[0018] U.S. Pat. No. 781,376 of 1905

[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,654 of 1976

[0020] Reference can also be made to the following international laid-open patent application.

[0021] WO 97/10934 of 1997

[0022] It is worth mentioning here that in the above mentioned prior art references, there is no mention of tongues and grooves on the sidewalls of the wood pieces.

[0023] Last of all, the concept of using hooks and notches or any similar means to rigidly interlock the sidewalls or ends of wood pieces to each other, is also well known in this field. By way of non-restrictive examples, reference can be made to the following U.S. patents:

[0024] U.S. Pat. No. 637,212 of 1899

[0025] U.S. Pat. No. 2,399,944 of 1945 and

[0026] U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,251 of 1999

[0027] It is worth nothing that the hooks or other means used in the above prior art references are always located in such a manner that the wood pieces can be tilted in one direction or pivoted, but not both tilted and pivoted (see FIG. 2 where the arrow C shows a possible tilting of the wood pieces but the arrows D1 and D2 show that vertical or horizontal rotations are not possible).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0028] It has now been discovered, and such is the object of the present invention that one may solve most of the problems encountered so far during the manufacture of wood pieces for use to manufacture wood panels, provided that the tongues and grooves or hooks and notches are provided on the opposite sidewalls of each of the wood pieces in such a way that:

[0029] (1) there is at least one tongue or hook on each sidewall and at least one corresponding groove or notch on the other sidewall; and

[0030] (2) the tongues or hooks on the opposite sidewalls are positioned at a same height between the upper and lower surfaces of each wood piece, and the grooves or notches are positioned at another same height selected as a function of the one where stand the tongues or hooks.

[0031] When the wood pieces are cut in such a way that their tongues and grooves or hooks and notches are positioned as indicated hereinabove, it is then requested that, after one wood piece has been positioned in a given flat position with an upper surface and a bottom surface, the adjacent wood piece be then positioned in a reverse position, with its bottom surfaces on top and its upper surface at the bottom. The wood pieces of similar shape are then interlocked with each other by alternatively locating one wood piece upside down and another piece upside up.

[0032] Due to their configuration, each of the wood pieces is longitudinally orientable in one direction or the other, upon request. This is particularly interesting in the case where the wood pieces are cut from logs or branches that are of conical shape, since it is then possible to position them “head to tail” in an alternate manner in order to manufacture a straight panel.

[0033] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wood pieces have opposite sidewalls that are bevelled in a vertical position. Such is usually inherent to the cutting of wood pieces from logs or branches (see the above-mentioned patents cited by way of examples). The advantage of the invention lies in that, inasmuch as the tongues and grooves or hooks and notches are respectively positioned in a symmetrical manner, one may select a specific height for positioning these interlocking elements in order to avoid spoiling of wood. Such also perm its to remove defects in the wood pieces, as is often the case in the portion of the logs or branches that are adjacent to the bark. Moreover, in the case of wood pieces cut into logs and branches, there is a bevelling effect in both ways, viz. on the sidewalls and over the length of the wood pieces. Such is advantageous in that one always follows the orientation and shape of the wood fibers and therefore one may reinforce to a maximum extent the structure of the panel that is being manufactured.

[0034] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following non-restrictive description made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035]FIG. 1 identified as “prior art” is a perspective view of known wood pieces provided with one tongue on one sidewall and a corresponding groove on the other sidewall;

[0036]FIG. 2 also identified as “prior art”, is a perspective view of two known wood pieces, provided with one hook on one sidewall and a notch on the other sidewall;

[0037]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wood piece according to the invention for use to manufacture a panel;

[0038]FIG. 4 is a end view of a panel made of wood pieces according to the invention as shown in FIG. 3;

[0039]FIG. 5 is a end view of a wood piece according to another embodiment of the invention, with bevelled sidewalls;

[0040]FIG. 6 is a end view of a panel manufactured with wood pieces as shown in FIG. 5;

[0041]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a wood piece similar to the one shown in FIG. 5, but which is bevelled also over its length;

[0042]FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a panel made of wood pieces as shown in FIG. 7;

[0043]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a panel made of wood pieces provided with hooks and notches;

[0044]FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the way the wood pieces must be assembled to form the panel shown in FIG. 9;

[0045]FIG. 11 is a end view of a panel made of two wood pieces having hooks and notches of a shape different from those shown in FIGS. 9 and 10;

[0046]FIG. 12 is a end view of a log showing the way the wood pieces shown in FIG. 11 can be cut;

[0047]FIG. 13 is a end view of wood pieces slightly different from those shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11;

[0048]FIG. 14 is a end view of a wood piece provided with hooks and notches similar to those of FIGS. 9 and 10 but with curved edges and with a snapping system;

[0049]FIG. 15 is a end view of a panel made from two wood pieces as shown in FIG. 14; and

[0050]FIG. 16 is an end view of a variant of the wood pieces shown in FIG. 14.

DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0051]FIG. 3 shows a wood piece 1 that can be used for the manufacture of a panel according to the invention. This wood piece 1 comprises an upper surface 3, a lower surface 5 and two opposite sidewalls 7,9. The sidewall 7 is provided with a tongue 11 and a groove 15. The opposite sidewall 9 is also provided with the tongue 13 and a groove 17.

[0052] As is shown, the tongues 11 and 13 extend within a same plane P1 that is parallel to the upper surface 3 and lower surface 5 of the wood piece. Similarly, the grooves 15 and 17 extend in a same plane P2 that is parallel to the upper surface 17 and lower surface 5 of the wood piece and thus parallel to the plane P1. The height to which the tongues and grooves are positioned within the planes P1 and P2 on the sidewalls 7 and 9 of the wood piece are selected so that wood pieces 1 of similar shape may be interlocked into each other to form a desired panel, by positioning alternatively one wood piece upside down and another adjacent wood piece upside up, as is shown in FIG. 4.

[0053] As can be appreciated, thanks to the fact that the tongues are in a same plane P1 parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the wood pieces and the grooves in another same plane P2 that is also parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the wood piece 1, it is possible to modify the longitudinal orientation of each piece in one direction or the other as requested. In other words, if such is actually necessary or wanted, one may pivot at an angle 180° each of the wood pieces 1 about the axis E shown in FIG. 3. It is worth noting here that this possibility to modify at will the longitudinal orientation of the wood pieces about an axis E as shown in FIG. 3 is something which is impossible with the wood pieces of the prior art, like those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0054]FIG. 5 illustrates a variant 21 of the wood piece 1 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. This variant 21 comprises an upper surface 23, a lower surface 25 and two opposite sidewalls 27 and 29 which, contrary to the surfaces 7 and 9 of the wood piece 1, are bevelled in a vertical direction. Such a bevelling usually occurs when the wood pieces 21 are cut from logs or branches of tree. By way of illustration, reference can be made to FIG. 12, or to U.S. Pat. Nos. 781,376 and 3,961,654 to which references have already been made hereinabove.

[0055] In accordance with the invention, the wood pieces 21 also comprise tongues 31 and 33 extending in a same plane P1 and grooves 35 and 37 extending in another same plane P2, located at respective heights selected so that the tongue and groove positioned on one of the sidewalls of a wood piece positioned upside down may be interlocked with the groove and tongue of another adjacent wood piece positioned upside up, as is shown in FIG. 6 which illustrates a panel 39 obtained from such wood pieces 21. Once again, it may be appreciated that the same wood piece 21 may be used indifferently upside up and upside down, the only requirement being that adjacent pieces be positioned one in upside down position and the other one in upside down position and, of course, their lateral side be bevelled at the same angle. It may also be appreciated that the wood piece 21 shown in FIG. 5 may also be rotated about a vertical axis similar to the axis E shown in FIG. 3.

[0056] As a matter of fact, the possibility of such a rotation about a vertical axis to modify the longitudinal orientation of each of the wood pieces 21 is actually a very important feature of the invention. Indeed, when the wood pieces 21 are cut from logs or branches, their lateral sidewalls 27 and 29 are not only bevelled in the vertical direction but also in the longitudinal direction. Thus, by making it possible to rotate each of the wood pieces about a vertical axis E as shown in FIG. 7, one may position the wood pieces in alternate position as shown in FIG. 8. Such permits to obtain a rectilinear panel from bevelled pieces. Of course, once the pieces are interconnected and attached to each other, one may cut the panel along transversal lines L1 and L2 as shown in FIG. 8, to form a panel having the requested dimension.

[0057] There is a major advantage in having the opportunity to tilt the wood piece about the axis E in order to orient the same in the longitudinal direction, while having also the opportunity for each wood piece to be used either in upside down or upside up position, it being understood that one in upside up position must be adjacent to one piece in upside down position and vice versa. Indeed, such permits to save a maximum of wood, since one may cut the logs or branches by following as much as possible their natural conical shape. Another advantage is that since the bevelling of their lateral sides is made in both directions, that is both in the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction, one may cut a tree or a branch to obtain the requested wood pieces while always following the orientation of the wood fibers. Accordingly, the fibers are not cut transversally and the structure of the panel that is so manufactured is reinforced to a maximum extent.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 8, the wood pieces 21 do not necessarily need to have the same width at both of its opposite ends. Therefore, when one cuts a branch or a log that is quite long and has a diameter that become smaller in size, one may use all the cut sections which are different but whose orientation is always the same. In this connection, reference can be made to the wood pieces shown in the central part of FIG. 8, which are of a width much smaller than those located on both sides of the same panel. All these pieces of smaller and larger width may be obtained by cutting a same log of a great length.

[0059] Instead of using wood pieces provided with tongues and grooves as shown in FIGS. 3 to 8, use can be made of wood pieces provided with hooks and notches positioned in such a manner as to be interlocked into each other.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the wood pieces 31 with hooks and notches comprise an upper surface, a lower surface 35 and two sidewalls 37 and 39. On each sidewalls 37 and 39, there is located at least one hook 41 or 43 positioned at the same height 20 in a symmetrical manner. These hooks define notches 45 and 47 (see FIG. 10) whose size is adequately selected to allow the hook of one adjacent piece positioned in a reversed position to be interlocked into the same.

[0061] It must be understood that, once again, the wood pieces can be rotated to modify their longitudinal orientation whenever as such is required, such permits to use to a maximum extent wood pieces cut for branches or logs. The advantage of using hooks and notches interlockable into each other is also that they ensure greater rigidity to the panel once assembled.

[0062] Instead of having only one hook and only one notch on each sidewall, the wood pieces may be provided with several hooks and several notches on each sidewall as is shown in FIG. 11. In this embodiment shown in FIG. 11, one can see that thanks to the recessed shape of one hook with respect to the other on a same sidewall, the wood piece 33 can be manufactured with sidewalls that are bevelled not only in the longitudinal direction but also in the vertical direction. Such also permits to improve the manufacture of wood pieces from logs or branches. In this connection, reference can be made to FIG. 12 shows that the wood pieces of FIG. 11 can be cut from a small branch. FIG. 12 also shows that the shape of the wood pieces permits to recover a maximum of wood when cutting a branch or log. Indeed, only the bark at the periphery of the log or branch is to be cut out.

[0063] In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, the hooks are shown in a perfectly vertical position. It must however be understood that the hooks can also be positioned that angle, as is shown in FIG. 13. The hooks and notches can also have curved edges as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. This makes easier the assembly of the panel. Moreover, if needs be, small beads 51 and slots 53 may be provided at suitable places on each of the sidewalls 37 and 39 of each of the pieces 31 in order to provide the snapping effect when two adjacent pieces are interconnected to each other. In this connection, one may refer to FIG. 15 which shows two pieces provided with such beads and slots, once assembled.

[0064] It may be appreciated that the number of hooks and notches or, in the case of the first embodiment disclosed hereinabove, the number of tongue and groove is not an essential feature of the invention. The only important features are those already listed in the summary of the invention, namely the fact that:

[0065] 1—there is at least one tongue or hook on each sidewall of each wood piece and at least one corresponding groove or notch on the other sidewall; and

[0066] 2—the tongues or hooks are positioned at the same height between the upper and lower surface of each wood piece and the grooves and notches are positioned in another same height and selected as a function of the one where are located the tongues and hooks in order to allow an interlocking of adjacent pieces with one piece upside up and another piece upside down, whenever be their longitudinal orientation.

[0067] It may also be understood that the shape of the tongues and grooves and/or notches and hooks is not essential. Once again, the only requirement is that there be “compatible” with each other in order to allow interlocking of the pieces with one piece upside up and another piece upside down.

[0068] The panel according to the invention as it has been disclosed and exemplified in several preferred embodiments of the invention, is made from wood pieces that can be cut in branches or logs in such a manner as to recover as much as possible of wood. Because of the very specific shape that may have these wood pieces, especially with their bevelled sidewalls oriented in a same angle either longitudinally or vertically, one may remove the edges on the same surface, the upper one or the lower one and thus avoid the flash problem known in the wood industry. Because it is possible to rotate the pieces also in the longitudinal direction, one may manufacture straight panel from wood of pieces of tapering shape. Such permits to maximize the recovery of logs branches.

[0069] Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the invention as disclosed hereinabove without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

1. In a wood piece for use to manufacture a panel, said wood piece comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, two opposite sidewalls and tongues and grooves or hooks and notches provided on said two opposite sidewalls, the improvement wherein: (3) there is at least one tongue or hook on each sidewall and at least one corresponding groove or notch on the other sidewall; and (4) the tongues or hooks on said opposite sidewalls are positioned at a same height between the upper and lower surfaces of each wood piece, and the grooves or notches are positioned at another same height selected as a function of the one where stand the tongues or hooks; whereby when said wood piece is used with other similar wood pieces, it is possible to interlock said wood pieces into each other by positioning alternatively one wood piece upside down and an other wood piece upside up, while being still possible to modify the longitudinal orientation of each wood piece in one way or the other.
 2. The improved wood piece according to claim 1, wherein said opposite sidewalls are bevelled in a vertical direction.
 3. The improved wood piece according to claim 1, wherein said opposite sidewalls are bevelled in a longitudinal direction.
 4. The improved wood piece according to claim 1, wherein said wood piece is cut from a log or a branch of tree.
 5. The improved wood piece according to claim 1, comprising only one of said tongues or hooks and only one of said grooves or notches on each of its sidewall.
 6. The improved wood piece according to claim 1, wherein said tongues and grooves or hooks and notches have curved edges and are provided with beads and slots positioned to match and cause a snapping of said piece with an adjacent piece when they are interlocked to manufacture the panel.
 7. The improved wood piece according to claim 1, wherein said opposite sidewalls are bevelled in both a vertical and longitudinal directions.
 8. The improved wood piece according to claim 7, comprising only one of said tongues or hooks and only one of said grooves or notches on each of its sidewall.
 9. The improved wood piece according to claim 8, wherein said tongues and grooves or hooks and notches have curved edges and are provided with beads and slots positioned to match and cause a snapping of said piece with an adjacent piece when they are interlocked to manufacture the panel.
 10. A panel manufactured by interlocking wood pieces as defined in claim
 1. 11. A panel manufactured by interlocking wood pieces as defined in claim
 9. 